Chapter 11: Francis Turbine

This tutorial includes:

11.1. Before You Begin
11.2. Starting ANSYS TurboGrid
11.3. Defining the Geometry
11.4. Defining the Topology
11.5. Reviewing the Mesh Quality on the Hub and Shroud Layers
11.6. Specifying Mesh Data Settings
11.7. Generating the Mesh
11.8. Analyzing the Mesh
11.9. Saving the Mesh
11.10. Saving the State (Optional)

This tutorial teaches you how to:

• Deal with a stepped hub.

• Use an L-Grid topology.

• Use edge split controls to increase the mesh density at specific locations.

As you work through this tutorial, you will create a mesh for a blade passage of a Francis water turbine.
A typical blade passage is shown by the black outline in the figure below.

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Francis Turbine

The turbine contains 13 blades that revolve about the X-axis. Within the blade passage, the maximum
diameter of the shroud is approximately 4.23 m.

The mesh density should be set appropriately for using the SST turbulence model in a CFD simulation.

11.1. Before You Begin

If this is your first tutorial, review the topics in Introduction to the ANSYS TurboGrid Tutorials (p. 1).

11.2. Starting ANSYS TurboGrid

1. Prepare the working directory using the files in the examples/francis directory.

For details, see Preparing a Working Directory (p. 1).

2. Set the working directory and start ANSYS TurboGrid.

For details, see Setting the Working Directory and Starting ANSYS TurboGrid (p. 1).

11.3. Defining the Geometry

Load the geometry and view it in the meridional view:

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 Defining the Geometry

1. Open the BladeGen.inf file.

2. Right-click a blank area in the viewer, and click Transformation > Meridional (A-R) from the shortcut
menu.

Note the discontinuity in the hub geometry. In order to capture this discontinuity in the final mesh, the
background mesh on which it is based must also capture the discontinuity. The background mesh is
an internal mechanism that ANSYS TurboGrid uses to represent the geometry. It is based on the original
curve files and other geometry settings, and is used to generate the topology and ultimately the CFD
mesh. In general, if you have a step change or other discontinuity in the hub, shroud, or blade, you
should try increasing the resolution of the background mesh. The goal is to line up a node of the
background mesh with the point at which the discontinuity occurs. By increasing the background mesh
density, the probability increases that a background mesh node will exist within a tolerable distance of
the discontinuity. If the (CFD) mesh does not adequately follow the geometry (even with sufficiently-
high CFD mesh resolution), then increase the background mesh density further.

Increase the resolution of the background mesh:

1. Right-click Geometry > Machine Data and click Edit in Command Editor.

2. Change Turbo Transform Background Mesh Size For Topology from 2000 to 80000.

3. Click Process to apply the changes.

4. Click Close.

11.3.1. Adjusting the Outlet Points

As can be seen in the viewer, the white diamonds that define the outlet curve are not at a uniform
distance from the trailing edge of the blade. In particular, the low hub point is much closer to the blade
than the other points of the outlet curve.

Move the outlet point on the hub farther away from the blade, and the outlet point on the shroud
closer to the blade, as follows:

1. Open Geometry > Outlet.

2. Under List of Points, select Low Hub Point.

3. Set Method to Set R and Location to 0.50.

4. Click Apply.

5. Under List of Points, select Low Shroud Point.

6. Set Method to Set A and Location to 1.75.

7. Click Apply.

8. Click Generate Intermediate Points .

9. A message box warns you that the intermediate points will be deleted. Click Yes to delete the existing
intermediate points and replace them with new ones.

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Francis Turbine

Looking at the intermediate point distribution in the viewer, you can see that adding more points would
significantly improve the smoothness of the curve. Add two more points to Geometry > Outlet using
one of the following procedures:

• If there are currently four intermediate points:

1. Under Curve, right-click Point 3 in the list and click New from the shortcut menu.

Alternatively, select Point 3 then, beside the list of points, click New .

2. Select the newly-added point, point 5, and set its location to (1.51, 1.10) so that it is at about the
same distance from the trailing edge as the other points.

These coordinates were originally determined by moving point 5 using the mouse.

3. Click Apply.

4. Right-click Point 4 in the list and click New from the shortcut menu.

5. Set the location of the newly created point, point 6, to (1.73, 1.73) and click Apply.

• If there are currently three intermediate points:

1. Under Curve, right-click Point 2 in the list and click New from the shortcut menu.

Alternatively, select Point 2 then, beside the list of points, click New .

2. Select the newly-added point, point 4, and set its location to (1.51, 1.10) so that it is at about the
same distance from the trailing edge as the other points.

These coordinates were originally determined by moving point 4 using the mouse.

3. Click Apply.

4. Right-click Point 3 in the list and click New from the shortcut menu.

5. Set the location of the newly created point, point 5, to (1.73, 1.73) and click Apply.

Before continuing, ensure that the outlet points are on a relatively smooth curve at a uniform distance
from the blade.

11.4. Defining the Topology

Apply an H/J/C/L-Grid topology to force ANSYS TurboGrid to set the specific topology type automatically
for the upstream and downstream halves of the blade:

1. Right-click a blank area in the viewer, and click Transformation > Cartesian (X-Y-Z) from the shortcut
menu.

2. Open Topology Set.

3. Set Topology Definition > Placement to Traditional with Control Points .

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 Reviewing the Mesh Quality on the Hub and Shroud Layers

This provides access to the legacy topology methods. The other option, ATM Optimized, provides
access to the newest topology method.

4. Set Topology Definition > Method to H/J/C/L-Grid.

5. Ensure that Include O-Grid is selected.

This adds an O-Grid around the blade to increase mesh orthogonality in that region.

6. Set Include O-Grid > Width Factor to 0.4.

This slight reduction in O-Grid width is needed due to the small passage width near the trailing
edge of the blade at the hub.

7. Set One-to-one Interface Ranges > Periodic to Between Blades & Upstream .

The high blade stagger angle in the downstream end of the passage makes the J-Grid and L-Grid
topologies good candidates for the downstream end of the passage. In order to make an L-Grid
topology possible in the downstream end, there must not be one-to-one node periodicity along
the periodic interface in that end of the passage.

8. Leave Periodicity > Projection set to Float on Surface.

This allows the periodic surface of the mesh to deviate from the geometric periodic surface, in order
to improve mesh skewness properties along the periodic boundary. The topology on a given layer
floats on the layer, but is not constrained to stop exactly on the intersection of the layer with the
geometric periodic surface.

9. Click Apply.

10. Right-click Topology Set and turn off Suspend Object Updates.

After a short time, the topology appears.

11. Open Topology Set > Blade 1.

12. On the Advanced Parameters tab, confirm that H/J/C/L Topology Definition > Trailing Edge is set
to L-Grid.

13. On the same tab, confirm that Override Sharp TE Determination > Sharp Trailing Edge is selected.

14. Click Freeze to freeze the topology settings.

11.5. Reviewing the Mesh Quality on the Hub and Shroud Layers
The Layers > Hub and Layers > Shroud objects are shown in red text in the object selector.

11.5.1. Modifying the Hub Layer

The Layers > Hub object is colored red in the tree view, indicating that there are problems with mesh
quality that should be resolved.

View the Hub layer:

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Francis Turbine

1. Right-click a blank area in the viewer, and click Transformation > Blade-to-Blade (Theta-M') from the
shortcut menu.

2. Click Hide all geometry objects .

3. Turn off the visibility of Layers > Shroud.

4. Turn on the visibility of Layers > Hub.

5. Click Fit View .

View the problem areas of the Hub layer:

1. Open Layers > Hub.

2. Double-click Minimum Face Angle.

The problem areas of the mesh are colored red in the viewer.

3. Double-click Maximum Face Angle.

The problem areas of the mesh are colored red in the viewer.

Improve the topology distribution on the Hub layer:

1. Insert a master control point and move it as shown in Figure 11.1: Hub Layer Changes in Downstream
End (p. 111):

1. Right-click the location where the new control point is to be added.

2. Select Control Point > Insert Master.

A yellow master control point should appear. If the master control point is colored magenta,
it will appear at the intersection of two red lines. In that case, delete the added point, then
right-click where one of those red lines intersected the master topology line and again select
Control Point > Insert Master.

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 Reviewing the Mesh Quality on the Hub and Shroud Layers

Figure 11.1: Hub Layer Changes in Downstream End

2. Move a master control point as shown in Figure 11.2: Hub Layer Changes in Upstream End (p. 112).

The minimum face angle should now be approximately 35°.

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Francis Turbine

Figure 11.2: Hub Layer Changes in Upstream End

3. For better mesh resolution along the periodic interface, use an edge split control to double the mesh
density at the lower location indicated in Figure 11.3: Increasing Mesh Density Locally (p. 113):

1. Right-click the master topology line marked “A” in Figure 11.3: Increasing Mesh Density Locally (p. 113)
and select Insert Edge Split Control from the shortcut menu.

2. In the object editor, change Split Factor to 2.0.

3. Click Apply.

This causes more elements to be placed along the topology line marked “A” in the figure.

Note that edge split controls act on all layers.

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 Reviewing the Mesh Quality on the Hub and Shroud Layers

Figure 11.3: Increasing Mesh Density Locally

4. In order to reduce the aspect ratio of mesh elements downstream of the blade, use edge split controls
to double the mesh density along the topology lines marked “B” and “C” in Figure 11.3: Increasing Mesh
Density Locally (p. 113).

11.5.2. Modifying the Shroud Layer

The Layers > Shroud object is colored red in the tree view, indicating that there are problems with
mesh quality that should be resolved.

View the Shroud layer:

1. Turn off the visibility of Layers > Hub.

2. Turn on the visibility of Layers > Shroud.

3. Click Fit View .

View the problem areas of the Shroud layer:

1. Open Layers > Shroud.

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Francis Turbine

2. Double-click Minimum Face Angle.

The problem areas of the mesh are colored red in the viewer.

3. Double-click Maximum Face Angle.

The problem areas of the mesh are colored red in the viewer.

Improve the topology distribution on the Shroud layer:

• Move master control points as shown in Figure 11.4: Shroud Layer Changes (p. 114).

After each change, you can update the display of problem areas in the mesh by double-clicking
Minimum Face Angle and Maximum Face Angle.

Moving the right-most control point will not improve the mesh immediately, but will avoid small
minimum face angles when a mesh is generated later on in the tutorial.

Figure 11.4: Shroud Layer Changes

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 Specifying Mesh Data Settings

11.6. Specifying Mesh Data Settings

In anticipation of using the SST turbulence model, increase the mesh density and set the near-wall y+
values for the hub, shroud, and blade to 1. Also add an outlet block and set its mesh type to H-Grid
in Parametric Space in order to better capture the change in radius of the hub in the outlet region.

1. Open Mesh Data.

2. Enter the following settings for Mesh Data.

Tab Setting Value

Mesh Method Target Passage
Size Mesh Size
Node Count Specify
Target 750000
Near Wall Element Size Specification > Method y+
Outlet Domain (Selected)
Pas- Spanwise Blade Distribution Parameters > Method Element Count and
sage Size
Spanwise Blade Distribution Parameters > # of Elements 80
Spanwise Blade Distribution Parameters > Const Elements 25
Spanwise Blade Distribution Parameters > Size of Elements 1
Next to Wall (y+) > Hub
Spanwise Blade Distribution Parameters > Size of Elements 1
Next to Wall (y+) > Shroud
O-Grid > Method Element Count and
Size
O-Grid > # of Elements 20
O-Grid > Size of Elements Next to Wall (y+) > Blade 1
In- Outlet Domain > Mesh Type H-Grid in Parametric
let/Out- Space
let Outlet Domain > Override default # of Elements (Selected)
Outlet Domain > Override default # of Elements > # of Ele- 30
ments

In order to set the y+ value on the hub and shroud, you could use either the Element Count
and Size method or the Boundary Layer method. In this case, the Element Count and
Size option was arbitrarily chosen. As a result, the number of elements from hub to shroud, and
the number of constant-size elements in the middle section (away from the hub and shroud) were
required. The values given here were found, by trial and error, to produce a good mesh.

Similarly, to set the y+ value on the blade, you could use either the Element Count and Size
method or the Expansion Rate method. The Element Count and Size method was ar-
bitrarily chosen. As a result, the number of elements across the O-Grid was required. The value
given here was found, by trial and error, to produce a good mesh.

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Francis Turbine

The number of elements in the outlet domain and in the O-Grid were changed to values that were
found, by trial and error, to produce a good mesh.

3. Click Apply.

11.7. Generating the Mesh

Create the mesh:

• Click Insert > Mesh.

11.8. Analyzing the Mesh

Inspect the mesh quality of the 3D mesh:

1. Open Mesh Analysis.

2. Confirm that the mesh measures are acceptable.

3. On the Mesh Statistics dialog box, click Close.

11.9. Saving the Mesh

Save the mesh:

1. Click File > Save Mesh As.

2. Ensure that File type is set to ANSYS CFX.

3. Set Export Units to m.

4. Set File name to FrancisTurbine.gtm.

5. Ensure that your working directory is set correctly.

6. Click Save.

11.10. Saving the State (Optional)

If you want to revisit this mesh at a later date, save the state:

1. Select File > Save State As.

2. Enter an appropriate state file name.

3. Click Save.

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